The genocidal war in Tigray was marked not only by mass killings, destruction, and displacement, but also by the systematic use of war-related sexual violence as a weapon of war. Women and girls were deliberately targeted by armed perpetrators in acts intended to terrorize communities, destroy social fabric, and inflict long-term harm beyond the battlefield. These violations were not incidental or opportunistic; they were widespread, organized, and carried out with extreme brutality.
Women of Tigray endured rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, and other forms of sexual torture, often accompanied by ethnic slurs, threats, and physical violence. Many were assaulted repeatedly and in front of family members, leaving deep physical injuries and enduring psychological trauma. The consequences of these crimes extend far beyond the individual survivors, affecting families, communities, and future generations through stigma, health complications, displacement, and loss of dignity and agency.
This testimony represents one of countless accounts of war-related sexual violence experienced by Tigrayan women during the Tigray genocide. It reflects the story of 18 years 18-year-old Tigrayan girl, Abeba, who was subjected to severe sexual violence by armed perpetrators.
Following the outbreak of the war on Tigray in November 2020, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) took control of the woreda where Abeba was living with her family. After the area came under their control, she fled to a place she believed would be safer. To her surprise, the ENDF had already occupied the place, and she then suffered brutal gang rape in the presence of the public around. Due to the active fighting in the area, there were no functioning health services available, so she decided to travel to Mekelle to seek medical care. On her way to Mekelle, 5 other ENDF soldiers trapped and took her to their camp. They raped her for another two days while she was in sever pian from the violence of the first incident. After the soldiers raped her for two days, they threw her in the bush outside their camp. Abeba somehow managed to continue her way to Mekelle. However, she came across other ENDF soldiers, where she experienced multiple perpetrator rape for the third time at their camp. After the perpetrators gang raped her the whole night, finally, they threw her out of the camp, where a farmer passing through had found and taken her to his house.
This testimony stands as a powerful reminder of the grave violations committed against Women and girls during the Tigray genocide. The sexual violence inflicted on Abeba not only robbed her of safety and childhood but also left lasting physical, psychological, and social scars. Her experience underscores the urgent need for survivor-centered justice, comprehensive medical and psychosocial support, and accountability for those responsible. Documenting and acknowledging such acts of War-related sexual violence is essential not only to honor the experiences of survivors but also to ensure their voices are heard, affirm their dignity, and demand justice and reparations. Centering survivor stories is a critical step toward healing, truth-telling, and preventing the normalization of sexual violence as a weapon of war.